Lose weight. Keep it off?

September was an anniversary of sorts for me... it marked the third year of maintaining a 20lb+ weight loss. It all started after college when I slowly started making some lifestyle changes.

The three most important changes were regular exercise, eliminating binge drinking and late night eating and practicing portion control.

I remember the extra pounds and inches slowly melting off as I started walking and riding a bike. And I still love both of these activities. Here are my ten best weight-loss and maintenance tips:

1. Start exercising and do it every day! Even if you only have time to take a thirty minute walk -it's better than nothing. Try different activities and classes to keep it interesting.

2. Eat breakfast. Again something small is better than nothing.

3. Eat small snacks throughout the day to keep your metabolism burning. Examples: raw (not salted or roasted) almonds and walnuts - a piece of fruit - 6oz of unsweetened yogurt (add your own honey or agave) - whole wheat crackers with a smear of natural peanut butter - a Larabar - etc. Skipping meals does not help you lose weight!!

4. Plan ahead. Don't rely on fast food or convenience stores for healthy options. It's much healthier and cost efficient to have your own snacks and meals when you're on the go.

5. Avoid soda (even diet), smoothies, juice, etc. Drink green tea and lots of water. After a while you won't miss the other stuff.

6. Save drinking for special occasions only. It's all loaded with empty calories. Plus more studies are showing excess alcohol consumption for women may contribute to breast cancer.

7. Eat more vegetables! They are high in volume but low in calories. Try to add more to lunch and dinner each day.

8. Learn to enjoy food in it's natural form. Put away your salt shaker and sugar bowl.

9. Enjoy small portions of good fats like olive oil, avocados, coconut and unsweetened nut butters. These will keep you satisfied and are good for your health.

10. Add more movement and activity to your daily routine: walk whenever you can, stand instead of sit, walk instead of drive, dry dishes by hand, weed and water your garden, scrub your kitchen floor, etc.

It really doesn't take an entire overhaul of your life to lose weight. The small consistent changes really add up. And the rewards are plentiful!

photo from realsimple.com